Anderson’s Winery gears up for second summer with new owners. Big plans ahead!

Have you ever noticed Anderson’s Winery on 6 between Valpo and Michigan City? If you are like us, you have driven by many times, and have always wanted to stop, but never did. Last month we pulled over to check it out, and boy, we were glad that we did! Under new ownership, Anderson’s has done some great things and they have big plans for the summer and years ahead! Dig the Dunes chatted with Denna Fyock, the owner since spring of 2018, and got the scoop!

How long has Anderson’s Winery been around?Anderson’s has been a local institution since 1927 when it started life as an apple orchard. Bill Anderson was the original owner, and he sold it to Dave Lundstrom in 1994. Dave started the winery, which was the first winery in Indiana north of Indianapolis. Sadly, he passed away in 2004 and the winery struggled for several years trying to continue despite numerous bad breaks. We purchased the winery in 2018, and have spent the last year rehabbing and improving the building and grounds. We’ve also worked very hard to improve the offerings of the winery; good wine, good food, and fun classes, music and activities. Anderson’s is a warm and cozy place to visit, particularly in the winter. In the warmer months we have a beautiful garden area where visitors love to spend time soaking up the sun and sipping their wine. There’s something for everyone at Anderson’s.

How big is the property and how much of it can be explored?The property is 42 acres. At one time 12 acres of it was under vine, however the vines have suffered from lack of pruning and care and most have died or are not producing because grapes only produce fruit on new canes. Eventually we would like to replace the vines with newer varieties that are weather and disease resistant for our area. Visitors to the winery are welcome to explore the property. There’s a little pond at the West end, and trails that go around the 3 blocks of grapevines. We frequently see deer, and there’s a huge flock of wild turkeys that come out occasionally. It’s very pastoral, quiet and peaceful, nourishment for the soul!

What sorts of activities or events do you have at Anderson’s?I love good music, so we have lots of great music available frequently at Anderson’s. On Sunday afternoons we offer live music from 2pm to 5pm, with the fire burning in the stove, and lots of good company, and good food! Throughout the summer we offer evening entertainment. We have plans for a special event in July with Vintage Postcard, and a Woodstock Commemorative concert on August 17th with Gemini Dream, a Moody Blues tribute band that is terrific. Details and tickets will be available soon on our Facebook page at Anderson’s Winery and Vineyards.

Does Anderson’s have a food menu?We have a really nice menu of snacks/meals that guests can purchase to go with their wines. We have delicious flatbreads in four or five flavors, baked brie, artichoke dip, chili-cheese dip, and recently we added nachos in your choice of chicken, pork, or beef. The chips are homemade and amazing! We are expanding our menu gradually, and plan to serve panini sandwiches in the near future. We also have been serving a “soup/chili of the weekend” over the winter months.

How many kinds of wine do you have? Do you have anything other than wine on the menu?We have over 20 different wines available. 8 red, 8 white, 2 blush, a sparkling, an ice wine, a port, and occasionally others. Roughly half of our wines are sweet, and the other half are dry. There is something for every taste. We also have coffee, sodas, and water available.

Are there any future plans for Anderson’s?Oh yes! We have BIG plans! We are building a new facility for weddings and events that will be based on a Napa Valley/Wine Country Barn theme–elegant but comfortable, lots of natural materials, and closeness to the land. It’s going to be beautiful! It will have a main room that will seat about 300 guests, a separate cocktail space, an indoor and an outdoor ceremony space, bride’s room, wedding party lounge, and a small shop area for tuxes and invitations. We have owned Aberdeen Manor in Valpo for 20 years, and will have the same quality of service, food and facilities that we have there. We hope to begin construction in May of this year, and it is projected to be finished in the spring of 2020.

We also plan to restore at least some of the vines with new strains of grapes in the next year or two so that we can produce an estate wine. Of course, we will also continue improving the garden and grounds.

Anderson’s Winery is located at 430 E. US Hwy 6 in Valparaiso. More information is always available on their Facebook page or at andersonswinery.com. They also have a calendar of events on their website. The calendar will have all of their events listed on it as well as links to register and purchase tickets.

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